Chronic illness as invisible diversity: Disclosing and coping with illness in the workplace.

摘要

This study explores the effects of chronic illness in the workplace, focusing on individuals' subjective experiences of illness at work. Chronic illness presents unique challenges for people at work as the physical and cognitive limitations, the social reactions of others, and their organization's responses to illness all influence peoples' sense of self. The way people choose to manage information about their illness is important for identity creation and critical to maintaining reputation as a competent actor in the workplace environment.; The purposes of this study were to explore the factors that affect individuals' decisions to disclose chronic illness at work and the outcomes of such disclosure and to understand the unique aspects of having a chronic illness at work. Existing research on the sociology of illness, disclosure, the coming out process of gays and lesbians, and stigma formed the theoretical foundation.; Study One tested a model of illness disclosure using variables drawn from existing research. Subjective survey data were collected from 360 participants diagnosed with either epilepsy or multiple sclerosis who were working in full-time or part-time jobs. Findings reveal that negative feelings about illness, perceived stigma, and higher illness severity lead people to increased illness disclosure, suggesting that people disclose preemptively to retain control over potentially stigmatizing personal information and to justify illness behaviors. Feelings of psychological safety increase illness disclosure, and disclosure is associated with higher levels of organizational commitment for epilepsy participants.; Study Two used interview data from 23 people to explore the illness experience at work. Common themes were the physical and cognitive limitations caused by illness, feeling "different" and misunderstood by others, and the experience of organizational responses that contributed to participants feeling normal or different. Supportive supervisors and open organizational cultures contributed to feelings of psychological safety, encouraging illness disclosure. Participants felt that illness had influenced their career trajectories and attitudes, causing them to be underemployed and changing their balance of priorities towards work and non-work aspects of their lives.